6 Emerging Technologies That Will Change Dentistry Forever

4/7/2016

Ryan

Ultrasound technology

If you’ve seen the amazing things ultrasound technology can do on the medical side, you know what to expect on the dental side. The goal with ultrasound solutions in dentistry is to provide a radiation-free option for imaging, along with detailed, 3D images of the teeth and jaw. Ultrasounds could offer an alternative to many 2D and 3D imaging solutions currently available.

Continuous Liquid Interface Production

3D printing has already taken the dental world by storm, particularly in the lab market, where it’s improved model-making, wax-ups, surgical guides and more. But there is room to grow in the printing technology itself (not to mention the realm of 3D printing materials, which we cover in more detail on slide seven).

Robotics

Earlier this year, the first robot designed for dental implant surgery was approved by the FDA. It’s designed to ensure accurate and precise oral surgery, specifically for implant cases and implant placements. And it’s also just a glimpse at how much robotics could change dentistry.

Virtual reality

Chances are, you’ve seen something on the news about virtual reality (VR) over the last few years. While it’s been popular in sci-fi movies for decades, it’s only now coming into its own as a popular technology—when Facebook bought VR company Oculus for $2 billion in 2014, it was because Oculus’ technology was widely perceived as a game-changer. Now, three years later, Oculus has been joined by the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and other hybrid systems designed to bring VR into the living room. But while the potential for VR gaming might seem obvious, dentistry has a lot to learn from VR.